Fitness camp for Team India players concludes

Bangalore:The week-long fitness camp for Team India players, selected for the coming tri-series in Sri Lanka, wound up today, with Trainer Gregory King terming it a ''satisfying exercise.'' Speaking to newspersons on the concluding day of the camp at the National Cricket Academy here, he said ''the camp was very different...it was a great experience to all players...it went off well.''

The players responded well to the new strategy adopted, he added.

Asked whether the strategy adopted in the camp was similar to that undergone by the Australian team ahead of the last World Cup, King said ''I don't know whether it is similar or not. I am not aware of the strategy adopted by them.'' He said the players underwent a lot of activities, not only aimed at improving their physical strength, but also concentration.

Team India vice-captain Virender Sehwag, who was also present, said the camp brought to the fore leadership qualities in each player. ''Everybody got a chance to head a group in team events...

we also exchanged notes and cleared doubts,'' he added.

Expressing happiness about the training session in Army atmosphere at the Training Centre of the Parachute Regiment on the outskirts of the city yesterday, he said, ''It was interesting and shooting was enjoyable. It gave us an opportunity to learn about the hardships faced by the Army personnel.'' On whether similar activities would be taken up in future camps too, King said it might not be similar as the stress would be on change to provide more learning opportunities to the players.

About the Sri Lankan series being scheduled within a short span of the West Indies tour, he said ''The short break is not a big factor. It should not come in the way of the performance of the boys in the tri-series.'' The series would commence on August 14, with South Africa being the third team.